Methane leak causes several evacuations in downtown Helsinki

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Natural gas with high methane content was detected in the sewer system of Helsinki's Museokatu next to the National Museum of Finland late on Tuesday evening.
      Hence the neighbouring block, containing four restaurants and an apartment building, was promptly evacuated. Police cordoned off the corner of Museokatu and Aurorankatu, as well as a part of these streets and the nearby Dagmarinkatu.
     
The gas was detected when the local water supplier Helsingin Vesi was measuring gas contents from the sewer systems in the neighbourhood of the National Museum on Tuesday. Late in the evening they reported that an insignificant amount of explosive gas had been discovered in a drain in Museokatu. During subsequent measurements, even dangerous contents of gas were found.
      According to fire officer Sandy Nyman, the gas with high methane content leaked from the city of Helsinki's natural gas network - not from the sewer system.
      The Helsinki Rescue Department searched for a leakage and aired the drains until the early hours of Wednesday.
      Police believe that the violent explosion at the National Museum of Finland on Monday is related to the gas leak. Apparently, a leak in a nearby gas pipeline released methane gas into a cleaning cupboard at the museum. As a result, a spark from the adjacent electrical equipment ignited the cupboard, causing a blast.
      The gas would normally have dissipated harmlessly, had the ventilation pipes not been frozen during the recent frost spell.
     
The staff of the museum had no idea on Tuesday as to when the Treasure Troves section would be opened again, or how much it would cost to repair the damage. The evaluation of the damages to the artefacts is just being undertaken. As the state does not have any insurance policy to cover its possessions, the repair costs will have to be paid out of the government budget.
      Right from the beginning, the Helsinki police regarded it as unlikely that the explosion would have been caused by a deliberate criminal act.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Violent explosion shakes National Museum of Finland on Monday evening (24.1.2006)

Links:
  Helsingin Vesi

Helsingin Sanomat